The Abibiman Foundation/Abibiman United Kingdom has held an Official Launch of ‘The SDGs Agenda-2030’ in Accra.
The Launch which also served as policy dialogue forum was under the theme: “The SDGs: keys to the promotion of solutions to national and grassroots development challenges through sustainable bilateral co-operation and partnerships the United Kingdom and Ghana as case study”.
This being a maiden collaborative programme, its aim to highlight the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its policies at all levels in society, hence ensure impact in the daily lives of the people.
Abibiman Foundation works with four pivotal pillars which are peace, prosperity, planning and people centered to achieve sustainable livelihood, peace and development in Ghana.
Giving the over view report, Mr. Richard Matey, Programmes Officer at Abibiman Foundation indicated that, the programme is based on research, campaigning, capacity building and sensitization as a way to ascertain what is working and what is not in both countries, hence replicate among the two countries, thus United Kingdom and Ghana.
“The SDG awareness is very low, it looks as if it has become a programme for the elite in society: we are looking at engaging, collaborating and campaigning on the SDGs”, he astonished.
However opined that, the SDGs should be promoted through social forces that can contribute to development as well ensure the use of social media in effort to promote the goals, particularly among young people.
Believing that, since the youth are the next generation, there is the need for tjem to be involved and encouraged to participate in the realization of the SDGs.
On his part, Mr. Charles Denkudi Yomekpe, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the programme pointed out that, the SDGs are to help create better life for the grass root people.
Therefore urged the stakeholders to help create awareness as well ensure that, it is taught as part of our school curricular especially the adoption of the usage of graphics to explain the Goals at public places.
Mr. Yomekpe expressed the worry of the lack of adequate education and sensitization at the local levels.
Mr. Frank Aggrey of the Ghana National Disaster Management (NADMO), Climate Change Department in his presentation on the “Disaster Preparedness, Management and Prevention: the case of 3rd June 2015 Disaster by the National Coordinator- Ghana National Management Organization (NADMO) disclosed that major underlying causes of the 3rd June Disaster are choked gutters, negligence and non-compliance of basic safety measures on the part of the filling station per the committee report and public ignorance.
Meanwhile, Mr. Aggrey noted that disaster management is crucial to us as a nation that, outlined some recommendations by NADMO which are: legal regimes defining institutions mandates should be revised and the consideration of funding of disease prevention projects should follow existing institutional arrangements among others.
Story By: Delali Gavor
